Former world champion Carl Frampton 27-2 (15) is expecting to be back in the ring by the end of July or early August in the UK.
The 32-year-old Belfast man was expected to challenge WBO super featherweight champion Jamel Herring 21-2 (10) before the global coronavirus pandemic all but shut down boxing worldwide.
American Herring will return to the ring when he defends his world title against Puerto Rican Jonathan Oquendo in Las Vegas on July 2 while Frampton is hoping to be back in action shortly after.
“I haven’t had a concrete date yet, or an opponent, but I’ve been told to get ready for a fight so that is what I am doing,” Frampton told the 5 Live Boxing podcast with Costello and Bunce.
“[Herring] is still the fight that I want. If we both win our next fights then I’m pretty sure it will go ahead. Where it will be or when it will be I’m not so sure.
“He still seems keen. He keeps mentioning my name and talks about wanting to fight me, and I want the chance to become a three-weight world champion.
“It’s a case of one fight at a time in this game and at this stage of my career, but I feel like the fight with Jamel will happen at some point.”
Frampton said that while the prospect of fighting without a live crowd would be “an alien feeling”, it wouldn’t entirely be something new.
“I boxed at a reasonably high level as an amateur, travelling the world and I wasn’t fighting in front of many people. It is something that I am half used to,” he said.
“It’s going to be a strange feeling not having anyone there.
“I suppose you don’t spar in front of many people and you’re always trying to get one over on your sparring partner.”
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